Fire ravages bank on Ferozepur Road
The fire broke out at 8:30 am at the regional office of the Central Bank of India, but the smoke kept emanating from the office till evening
: A major fire broke out at a bank on Ferozepur Road, leaving electronic gadgets worth lakhs and important documents gutted.
The fire broke out at 8:30 am at the regional office of the Central Bank of India, but the smoke kept emanating from the office till evening. No casualty has been reported in the incident.
The security guard of the three-storeyed building saw smoke emanating from the first floor, which houses the bank. Ashok Sharma, regional manager of the bank, said that no staff members were inside the building when the incident happened.
Staff of the other offices located inside the building was also immediately asked to vacate the complex.
With only a narrow staircase available to approach the building, the fire officials had a tough time dousing the flames. The fire brigade officials had to break the glass window panes on the front side of the building to provide passage for air.
Though the fire was controlled before the flames spread throughout the building, the fire-fighters could not enter the office as plumes of toxic smoke kept emanating from there.
As many as three tenders were pressed into service. The fire was brought under control within two hours and the fire brigade were able to enter the office only after 2:30 pm due to smoke before a minor fire broke out again at around 5;30pm, said fire officer Swaran Chand.
Tenders of the fire brigade remained stationed till late hours at the site in case of an emergency.
As the building is located on the commercial artery, Ferozpur Road, and sees a heavy rush, the incident spread panic in the area.
Fire Brigade officials said while the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, it appears that it was due to a short circuit in the backup batteries installed at the office.
Vijay Kumar, leading fireman, said that there are no vents in the building or any arrangements of water supply. He said a proper assessment will be conducted regarding the cause of the fire.
Three incidents of fire in 24 hours
As many as three incidents of fire within 24 hours gave fire brigade officials a tough time. The first minor fire broke out in a godown of a hosiery unit on Brindaban Road in the late hours of Tuesday.
As many as two tenders of the fire brigade were pressed into service. Raw materials worth lakhs were ravaged in the fire.
Another fire broke out at a commercial building in Dugri Phase-2 at around 6 pm on Wednesday. Two tenders of the fire brigade were pressed into service.